Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-15
Thomas J, CIuverius Expiates with His
Life the Strange Death Of Fannie
Lillian Madison.
The Last Act in Celebrated Case
another Man Hanged on Purely
CireumStaRtial Evidence.
History of She Crime and the Prisoner-A
Sunday school Teacher and "a Writer
OF Obscene Poetry.
NO RESPITE.

ernor has taken no action IN Cluyerius'
case up to IL O'Clock this morning. The
execution will take place about 1880.
Every thing is in readiness at the jail.
HE is HANGED.
AtI:0s O'Clock Cluverius was hanged.
He died without making d confession.
Speaking through DR.. Hatcher, his min
lister, he said that in this moment of
death, when nearing the grave, he had no
i'll feeling toward any man on earth. He
died by strangulation.
THE SCENE AT THE JAIL
RICHMOND, VA, Jan. l+-Thomes
murder of Fannie Lillian Madison, was
as 8 q. m. people began to gather in the
vicinity, and by noon every approach to
the ell was packed with
human beings, as were also the house
tops and the hillsides near the Jail from
which a sight could be obtained. Ad-
mittance into the Jail was had BY tickets
issued by City Sergeant Smith, who ad-
mitted over 200 persons. The prisoner
passed sleepless night, most of the
time being spent with Beverly Crumb,
the one counsel who has done
everything to save his life, and who re-
manned with him till u. m. From that
hour until 6 O'Clock he was engaged in
prayer, and at intervals he sang hymns.
From o'clock until he slept soundly,
and then arose and ate q break
fast of ten~arloin beefsteak,
mushroom and an egg omelet.
During the morning hours there was
much sEeculstion as to whether the gov
ernor would grant further respite, and
that question was not finally settled until
ONE time after noon, when MIR. CrumD,
who had BEEN to see the governor, re
turned to the Jail and announced
that the executive power would not in
| terpose. Rev. DIR. Wm. Hatcher came
to the Jail about il O'Clock and remained
with the prisoner to the last administer
ing religious consolation and praving
with the prisoner. At noon suit Of new
! black clothes was brought to
the jail and the prisoner donned
them. at two minutes to O'Clock the
death procession was formed, consisting
of Sergeant Smith, two deputies, Rev.
! DR.. Hatcher, and the prisoner, the latter
having his hands tied in front, and his
| body from his neck to his ankles envel-
oped in an Old-fashioned iady's water
proof cloak. From The cell the
march progressed 20 the lower court
of the jail and then into the yart,
| fronting the cells of the white prisoners.
Forty policemen were on duty to keep
back the crowd. The prisoner, though
thin and pale. moved with steady steps
to the scaffold, which he assembled
in the same quiet manner
and stood on the trap. Sergeant
Smith then read the death warrant and a
copy OF the Judgment, to whital'the pris-
oneT list ned with bowed head and ap-
parent close attention. When Sergeant
Smith had concluded, he asked the
doomed man if he
HAD ANYTHING TO SAY,
and Ciuverius replied 'tNO sir, nothing at
ALL" his voice being scarcely audible.
Dr. Hatcher then knelt and offered prayer,
and when he had finished he turned TO
the prisoner who said g few words in a
low tone, and DR.. Hatcher turning to the
crowd in the yard said: ~ am requested
by the prisoner to utter one word for him,
and that is that in this moment OF death
he carries to the grave no feeling OF Ill
will towards any man on earth"
DR.. Hatcher then left the scsfold,
raising both hands as he went out He
said the prisoner had asserted his inno-
cence to the last moment. When DIR
Hatcher had gone, Deputy
Sergeant Allen tied the pris
oner's knees tightly together, put
the rope around his neck and a adjusted
the black cap and hood. Everything be-
ing ready Sergeant Smith gave the
signal, snd at LOS O'Clock the trap was
sprung. There was sudden siss, fol-
lowed by the clang OF the
falling trap door, and the next
instant the body of Cluverius
was at the end of the rope over ten feet
below where he had been standing. The |
rope, which was made of parti-colored silk, |
stretched over foot and he toes OF the |
hanged man nearly touched the brick
pavement beneath. There was minute |
of aiiet and then there was considerable |
Smuggling, lasting several minutes, to-
gether with hard breathing. indicating
sthat death was being produced
by strangulation. After sixteen
minutes the physicians pronounced the
SDdy dead, and twenty minutes after the |
trap was sprung it was taken down and |
placed in the plain wooden coffin and |
turned over to the undertaken to be pre-
pared for burial at his former home in
King and Queen county.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
Cluverius was convicted wholly upon !
circumstantial evidence. The body of
Fannie Lillian Madison was found in the
city reservoir on the morning of March |
Is, 1885. She was enciente. At that
time Cluverius was at mis- aunt's, forty
miles from the city. The poor girl was
ais cousin, and had come to Ricnmoud
from her mountain home, 800 miles
distant, two days before her death. She
had told q falsehood as to the cause OF
her coming, saying that she was called to
Richmond to see 3 sick lady and would
be there two weeks. She was there
within few weeks of the time when she
would have become mother. She re-
marked casually as she got on the train
that her cousin, "Tommy" Cluyerius,
would meet her in Richmond, and
though she left home smiling, she said ID
fit of sadness to the conductor that she